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Information Sheet on Declawing and Tooth· Removal (Issued in August 2006)

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Information Sheet on Declawing and Tooth· Removal (Issued in August 2006) USDA Information Sheet on Declawing and Tooth· Removal (Issued in August 2006) Declawing or the removal ofthe canine teeth (fangs) in wild or exotic carnivores or nonhuman primates is no longer considered to be appropriate veterinary care unless prescribed by the attending veterinarian for treatment ofindividual medical problems ofthe paws or teeth. These procedures are no longer considered to be acceptable when performed solely for handling or husbandry purposes since they can cause considerable pain and discomfort to the animal and may result in chronic health problems. These procedures are no longer allowed under the Animal Welfare Act. This notice is consistent with the current position statement issued by the American Veterinary Medical Association. L.- -'-__-J What animals does this apply to? This applies to all regulated nonhuman primates and captive wild or exotic carnivores, including, but not limited to, big cats, canid species, and bears. Who does this apply to? This policy applies to all AWA licensees (breeders, dealers, and exhibitors) and registrants (research facilities). What does this mean to the licensee or registrant? All AWA licensees must no longer routinely perform these procedures (declawing and removal ofcanine teeth) on their wild or exotic carnivores and nonhuman primates. Continuing to routinely use these procedures may subject the licensee to citation for noncompliance with the AWA, and may result in enforcement action. Treatment ofindividual animals with documented medical problems as prescribed by the attending veterinarian is not subject to these restrictions. Registrants may use such procedures only as part ofa research protocol that has been reviewed and approved by the IACUC at the institution. What about animals have already been declawed or defanged? Facilities with animals that have been subjected to these procedures prior to the issuance date ofthis notification will not be found in noncompliance with this provision since these procedures cannot be undone. ThG U.s. [.. ~-~n~rtrr:ent(-i ht~;iC!J!t-Jre \USOA~ on~l:hlt5 {j i:~r;r!n~!natior; i,j atl :~~ ~l{O?';(lJn& and Q(ti ....;i)&~ em the ~@~ of f'4Ct\ c~lnr. ratiQnal origi!l~ ~i;e~ Jis""iill,·, "n<j"'h,vei'il~pI!t<ii.'l1~1~\lX;:; 'h'~V;t..i11 ~f.41w,,'. tv'!!~;~a.l &'t<llU\.\ !~")n,;nt:,1 ";:f;~tu~~ JtHgh'){i"., (;~#,t;}! o.r}t,:nt~'f.Qn. gh)Htk i!lf<:"nH'fl.'!OH. flohticai f~~~J!d~:. n:'pn~",\. (}l·tl;,,{.t~t:W' 311!'::'" rUlrt !.lal) i,,(jn'lfj;ta,I'~ir,,,,),l,e j~{i,)t;"r:(j ir""m ~t:''; t;;;t!{c iisslst'i'il1;~(~prngr8ir., (Nf}t (!ii tJ.~oh!b~b:;d tt()~:~e3 artp!'itn :':;!~ nn},~ft'1WSl.) 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USVt~ ~ Of! ~q1itJi f)p~lnr1iiil!ty O!ovide, ard f''rlj''lt}yu' Animal Care Publication Page Page 1 of2 .• AC Home AboutAC Horse Protection Act Links AC EEO E-FOIA Missin~ Pets Regional Offices Search Get free pdf reader USDA Home Page APHIS Home Page E-Mail Animal Care Animal Care Publications Animal Welfare Act, Regulations, and APHIS Forms Now Available on the Web Standards • APHIS Form 7005: Animal Welfare Act (text) Record of Acquisition and Dogs and Cats on Hand Animal Care Regulations: • APHIS Form 7006: Record of Disposition of Dogs and Cats • Part 1 Definitions • Part 2 Regulations • APHIS Form 7006A: • Part 3 Standards Continuation Sheet for Record of Disposition of • Part 4 Rules of Practice Dogs and Cats Animal Welfare Act Summary (Text or Pdf) • APHIS Form 7020: Record of Acquisition, Disposition or Transport of 2000 Report on the AVMA Panel on Animals (Other than Dogs and Cats) Euthanasia Traveling With Your Pet • report in pdf format • This information has its own page now. Please go to: www.aphis.usda.gov/aclpettravel.html" """ Fact Sheets (one or two page summaries) Tech Notes • Information Sheet on Declawing and Tooth Removal (~f) • Ensuring Adequate Veterinary Care • Questions and Answers on Authority (text or I&-f) (Text) or (Pdf) •A New Era in Animal Welfare (text) • Understanding Compliance Inspections(Pdf) • The Animal Welfare Act Factsheet (Text or Pdf) • Compliance Inspections (Text or Pdf) Appeal of an Inspection Report • Dealers (Text or Pdf) • Animal Exhibitors (Text or Pdf) • Letter to Licensees and Registrants concerning • Safeguarding Pets (Text or Pdf) findings noted on inspection reports (Text) • Traveling by Air With Your Pet (Text or Pdf) Institutional Animal Care and Use Animal Care Manuals I Policy Committee (IACUC) • Animal Care's Policy Manual {EQf} • IACUC one page checklist (Pdf) • Dealer Inspection Manual (Pdf) • IACUC survey (Pdf) • Research Manual (Pdf) Elephant Documents Animal Care Reports • Guidelines for the Control of Tuberculosis in Annual Reports of Enforcement by Fiscal Year Elephants - 2003 (Q@ • 2004 • Elephant Necropsy Protocol - 2003 (QQf) • Elephant Research and Tissue Request Protocol - http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/publications.html 9/25/2006 Policies Animal Care Resource Guide Veterinary Care Issue Date: July 17,2007 Subject: Veterinary Care: Policy #3 Expired Medical Materials Pharmaceutical-Grade Compounds in Research Surgery Pre- and Post- Procedural Care Program ofVeterinary Care Declawing and Defanging Practices in Wild or Exotic Carnivores or Nonhuman Primates Health Records Euthanasia References: AWA Section 2143 9 CFR, Part 2, Sections 2.31, 2.32, 2.33, 2.40; 9 CFR, Part 3, Section 3.110 History: Provides requested guidance. Replaces memoranda dated May 31, 1990, November 29, 1991, April 6, 1992, and September 25, 1992. Replaces policies dated April 14, 1997, January 14, 2000, and August 18, 2006, to update the section regarding declawing and defanging practices used in wild or exotic carnivores or nonhuman primates. Justification: The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) requires that all regulated animals be provided adequate veterinary care. Policy: Expired Medical Materials The use ofexpired medical materials such as drugs, fluids, or sutures on regulated animals is not considered to be acceptable veterinary practice and does not constitute adequate veterinary care as required by the regulations promulgated under the Animal Welfare Act. All expired medical materials found in a licensed or registered facility are to be brought to the attention of the responsible official. The facility must either dispose ofall such materials or segregate them in an appropriately labeled, physically separate location from non-expired medical materials. The Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has no jurisdiction over facilities using expired medical materials for non-regulated animals or non-regulated activities. For acute terminal procedures, APHIS does not oppose the use ofexpired medical materials iftheir use does not adversely affect the animal's wellbeing or compromise the validity ofthe scientific study. Proper anesthesia, analgesia, and euthanasia are required for all such procedures. Drugs administered to relieve pain or distress and emergency drugs must not be used beyond their expiration date. Facilities allowing the use of expired medical materials in acute terminal procedures should have a policy AC 3.1 Animal Care Resource Guide Policies Veterinary Care covering the use ofsuch materials and/or require investigators to describe in their animal activity proposals the intended use ofexpired materials. The attending veterinarian and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) are responsible for ensuring that proposed animal activities avoid or minimize discomfort, distress, and pain to the animal. These responsibilities cannot be met unless the veterinarian and the IACUC maintain control over the use ofexpired medical materials. Pharmaceutical-Grade Compounds in Research Investigators are expected to use pharmaceutical-grade medications whenever they are available, even in acute procedures. Non-pharmaceutical- grade chemical compounds should only be used in regulated animals after specific review and approval by the IACUC for reasons such as scientific necessity or non-availability ofan acceptable veterinary or human pharmaceutical-grade product. Cost savings alone are not an adequate justification for using non­ pharmaceutical-grade compounds in regulated animals. Surgery AWA regulations require that survival surgeries be performed using aseptic techniques and that major operative procedures on nonrodents be performed only in dedicated surgical facilities. Nonsurvival surgeries require neither aseptic techniques nor dedicated facilities ifthe subjects are not anesthetized long enough to show evidence ofinfection. Research facilities doing surgical demonstrations while traveling must use aseptic techniques and dedicated surgical facilities. Motel meeting rooms and auditoriums do not qualify as dedicated surgical facilities. Nonsurvival surgeries not performed aseptically or in a dedicated facility must at least be performed in a clean area, free ofclutter, and using acceptable veterinary sanitation practices analogous to those used in a standard examination/treatment room. Personnel present in the area must observe reasonable cleanliness practices for both themselves
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